By Friday, and after three days of missing practice, Green Bay Packers kickoff returner Keisean Nixon didn’t think his injured groin would cooperate enough for him to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
After a day of rest, he woke up feeling healthy and dangerous.
“I texted the coaches this morning, I feel like a Ferrari,” Nixon said after Sunday’s 41-17 win over the Vikings.
The racecar found the end zone hours later.
Nixon, who has been the NFL’s most productive kickoff returner over the last two months, provided a signature play when he took the first Vikings kickoff of Sunday back 105 yards for his first career touchdown.
Terrific blocking from teammates in the middle of the field opened a gigantic hole, and Nixon checked the final box by making kicker Greg Joseph miss in the open field.
“Open sea, I just ran through it. And I knew I had just one guy to beat, and once I passed the kicker, it was party time,” Nixon said.
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The groin didn’t look like much of a problem as he burst into the open field and into the end zone, giving the Packers a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Green Bay wouldn’t trail again.
Nixon’s 105-yard return came exactly one week after he returned a kickoff 93 yards but was stopped short of the end zone in Miami.
“Happy it was here at Lambeau,” Nixon said.
Entering the NFL’s final week, Nixon leads the NFL in kickoff return yards (930) and kickoff return average (30.0). His 105-yard return was the longest kickoff return in the NFL this season.
Minnesota’s Kene Nwangwu previously led the league in yards and average. On Sunday, Nixon – despite not practicing all week – issued a strong argument that he’s now the NFL’s most dangerous kickoff returner.
“Word on the street is they had the best returner,” Nixon said. “Hopefully we settled that today.”
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